Building Towers
by geewee
Summary: After the death of Kurt's mother him and his father take a trip to Westerville. Follow the story of Kurt and Sebastian growing up and discovering not only themselves but each other.


"C'mon Kurt, we're gonna be late!"

A petite, pale faced boy came shuffling onto the front porch, a small china tea set rattling in the case he now clutched.

His puffy, red eyes were drooped towards the floor. He looked tired...sad, even; completely out of character for a boy his age.

Burt patted his son on the shoulder and moved to shut the door behind him, securing it with the twist of his brass key. Kurt had already made it to the car stowing his tea set in the back and clicking the safety belt in place around it.

After giving it several tugs to ensure its safety, Kurt closed the back door of the car and climbed onto the red plastic booster seat in the front, gazing out the windshield.

Across the road, in a house very similar to his own, lived a girl and boy whose names Kurt didn't know.

The siblings had never particularly liked Kurt, or at least, the boy didn't and his sister simply followed. He was, of course, older than her.

And now there they both were, running around on their front lawn, playing tag, Kurt suspected.

Burt watched his son and let out a sigh, giving him a pat on the knee.

"We're gonna have such a great time with Ian, Sarah and the kids this weekend, okay?"

Kurt looked up slightly locking eyes with his father.

"You promise?" He spoke, in a barely audible whisper. Burt gave his son a warm smile, delivering one last reassuring pat.

"Promise."

Burt twisted the key in the ignition, making the engine slowly but surely rattle to life and the car crawled up the sleepy lane, heading for the highway.

"Westerville, here we come!" Burt chuckled, flicking on the radio to some form of oldies station.

As Kurt sang along with his father, even he couldn't deny he was more than a little excited.

"How long now?"

"How about you just take one minute off the last time I told you?" Burt answered, eyeing his son sarcastically.

"DAD!" Kurt said returning a glare that was too funny to be seen as anything near threatening.

"Fine, okay, five minutes." he replied, turning his head back to the road and catching a glimpse of his son bouncing up and down on his seat in the window reflection.

Burt was glad his son was getting a break. The past few weeks felt like he hadn't had the chance to just be a kid, but this weekend he would have fun with the boys…or so he hoped. Kurt wasn't the same as other boys, he didn't like spaceships and cowboys. Kurt liked bears and tea parties, both together, usually, and he just hoped that Sarah's kids would be okay with that.

Slowly the car turned into a small street and crawled up the driveway until they arrived at the green door marked with a golden 95.

Kurt's nose was pressed against the glass window, leaving marks of condensation as he breathed. He sensed movement inside the house and within seconds the door swung open revealing a petite brunette woman, clad in a yellow summer dress. The lady, who Kurt remembered was called Sarah, stood smiling and gave a small wave before shouting indoors, then heading towards their car.

Sarah was noticeably shorter than Kurt's mother was; with piercing green eyes and a wide smile framed with laughter lines that creased her tan skin.

Suddenly, Kurt heard the door opposite him click open as his father climbed out of the car gesturing for him to follow.

Quickly, he undid his belt and scrambled out of the car, moving to his fathers side as he hugged the small woman in front of them.

"It's good to see you, Burt," she whispered, pulling away from the embrace.

"Likewise." he answered, smiling warmly at her.

"And this must be Kurt!" she exclaimed. "Gosh, I haven't seen you since you were a tiny baby!"

Kurt smiled sheepishly, mumbling a hello, whilst hiding behind his father.

"Well, come on in, make yourselves at home!" Sarah exclaimed, leading the way through the garden and into the house.

Kurt remembered a house like this, but not as big. It was very similar to a doll house he'd seen the month before, with his mother in an antique store. It was almost identical apart from the green door which on the model had been red.

The inside, however, was very different; decorated in varying shades of white and cream.

The interior resembled something of a show house but still seemed friendly and had character. The place felt like Kurt's home used to feel: friendly and warm. It was nice for Kurt to feel happy where he was for once.

A large crash sounded from upstairs, followed by an eerie silencing of the chatter he'd heard previously. Sarah's face turned a deep red and she stormed up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"JULIAN, THAT BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN WHAT I THINK IT WAS! " she yelled, disappearing onto the upstairs landing.

Kurt could hear the muffled voices of two boys upstairs.

"Mom, it was not me this time, I swear! This was all him!"

"Liar!" he heard another voice yell, louder than the other boy. " You threw the ball! My tower would never have fallen if you'd have just taken the ball outside!"

All he could hear after that was shouting, each of the three voices trying shout louder than the other until suddenly it was deadly silent.

"Now," Sarah spoke, in a hushed threat. "Go downstairs and say hello to our guests - or else!"

"Mom, please don't do it." Kurt heard one voice plead.

"Well you'd better hurry up then!"

There were thuds that sounded like a heard of baby elephants running across the landing until two boys appeared. One was taller than the other, his long, messy hair a shade lighter than his mother's. Kurt remembered his dad talking about the two. The older boy was named Julian and his eyes were rather dull compared to his mother's; with a soft brown mixed through them.

His brother, however, was quite the opposite; his eyes were his mother's double, a bright piercing green. The boy was a lot shorter than his brother, thinner too, and his mouth was turned up into a smile that made Kurt smile too.

The duo were pushing and hitting each other, heading down towards them, the younger pushing past to get there first.

He approached Burt first, shaking his hand and saying 'nice to meet you'.

When he turned to Kurt his smile grew larger and he outstretched his arm once again.

"Hi! My name's Sebastian!"

Kurt gave a shy smile as he shook Sebastian's small hand.

"I'm Kurt," he replied, his voice growing quiet and his nerves gaining the upper hand.

The other boy's smile only grew larger.

"I know," he said. "My mom's been telling us you were coming all week!"

Before Kurt could reply, Sebastian was shoved to the floor and his brother now stood in his place.

"I'm Julian," the taller boy announced. "I really should have said 'hi' first because I AM older!"

Sebastian grumbled as he picked himself up off the floor, shoving his brother in the arm before smiling at Kurt again.

Kurt stared wide-eyed at the two, a small smirk on his lips before saying another ' hello'.

Sarah appeared behind them placing a hand on both of their shoulders.

"Why don't you take Kurt upstairs? Maybe he can help you rebuild that tower."

Both boys shouted something which must have been a 'yes' as they ran up the stairs, Sebastian pulling Kurt along by his sleeve.

Burt chuckled at the boys, smiling warmly.

"You know, I think they're gonna be a bad influence on him."

After successfully building three towers, one for each of them, the boys were called down for dinner.

Julian entered the kitchen first and groaned followed by a similar reaction from Sebastian.

"Soup again?" Julian whined.

"Yes, soup again! It's your father's favourite."

Almost on cue, the back door opened and a tall man in a crisp grey suit stepped in. He had small drops of rain in his dark blonde hair.

"Burt!" the man exclaimed, placing his briefcase on the counter. "How are you, my man?"

"Better." he replied, smiling and shaking the taller man's hand.

Kurt turned away from the two grown ups' now heated discussion and tuned in on the two brothers' conversation.

"…Makes all of his own powers! He isn't a real super hero."

Sebastian gave his brother a look of disgust. "Batman makes his own powers but I don't see you calling him a not real superhero!"

Kurt looked at them pointedly, confusion evident on his face.

"Well real superheroes help people," said Kurt. "So if they both help people doesn't that make them both real superheroes?"

Sebastian turned to his brother with a smug look plastered on his face. "See?"

Julian just dropped his head and walked away to the table, mumbling something about him being older.

Sebastian smiled at Kurt his eyes bright with happiness.

"You know, you should be a superhero Kurt!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Kurt giggled, picturing himself in tight clothes and a cape.

"Yeah! I mean you help people, you helped me and Jules build the towers and you helped me win the argument just there."

Sebastian looked Kurt over pointedly, placing his hand under his chin like a professor.

"Yup!" he said nodding. "I definitely see it: 'K- man', or maybe ' Super K'!"

Kurt just laughed and followed Sebastian to the dinner table.

"What we eating, hon?" asked the man who Kurt assumed was Ian.

Sarah's face lit up as she placed a large pan in the tables centre. "Soup! Your favourite!"

Ian smiled fondly at his wife as she ladled the green liquid into everyone's bowl.

"Great!" he breathed staring down into his bowl.

"I'll just go wash up," she announced, leaving the kitchen through the wooden door.

Ian and both boys watched after her for several seconds before suddenly a chair shrieked in protest.

"Quick boys, sink, go!"

All three boys grabbed their bowls and ran for the sink, rinsing it down the drain.

"You too, Kurt!" Sebastian called.

Kurt slowly picked up his bowl, a confused look on his face.

"Why?" he asked, shuffling towards the group of boys.

"Because it tastes like feet." Came his father's voice from behind him.

"Now hurry up and throw it out!"

All five of them tipped the contents of their bowls down the plug hole before hurrying back to the table and honing a look of innocence.

"Wait!" Julian exclaimed, grabbing his spoon from the table. The boy quickly spooned the remains of soup from the pan and flicked it across the table at Sebastian.

"Hey!" the now messy boy shouted, throwing his own dirty spoon at his brother.

"What?" the older of the two questioned, whacking the spoon away from his face and landing it squarely in the middle of his fathers chest. "Now it's more believable!"

Julian leaned back in his chair smiling smugly at his brother before a large green hand came and smeared itself across his face.

"Now it is!" Ian announced, his voice full of accomplishment as he sent Kurt a wink.

As Kurt looked at the three family members at the table, he smiled, the first real smile in a while.

'Yes,' Kurt thought, ' I am definitely going to have fun this weekend.'


End file.
